The June 27 Dispatch articles “Bribes in Columbus?” “Red-light cameras and Redflex: a history” and “ Monopoly ban would beat legalization if both pass” prove that politics is only about money and trickery.

Pad my pocket, and I’ll do you a favor. Pass this bill and that bill, but one trumps the other because it goes into effect first. But wait, a little-known constitutional provision from 1918 states that if contradictory proposals qualify for the ballot, then the ones with the most votes wins. And, of course, a court fight is likely.

It seems that the real message is that red-light cameras used the guise of safety to shadow political contributions, and the legalization of marijuana is about monopolizing a moneymaker, not safety or health.

Both issues have their merits and downfalls, but both are being used mostly for monetary gains and involve politics.

Our politics need to change and that starts with us. Read, talk to neighbors, write letters and hold all of our elected officials accountable. Change isn’t free. We have to fight for our rights and an honest government.

WILLIAM H. BRUMFIELD

Westerville